Homebrew spell: Baeril's Lizardskin Coat

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Any issues with this for balance reasons? I play a gnome illusionist in an urban campaign in Ptolus, where we're all part of a special unit of the city watch, and the spell would be used for surveillance purposes. (Lizardfolk in Ptolus are the majority of the homeless population, and a lizardman laying in a doorway wouldn't arouse any suspicion -- or even be noticed -- in most parts of town.)

Baeril's Lizardskin Coat
Illusion (Glamer)
Level: Wiz 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 hour/level (D)

You make yourself—including clothing, armor, weapons, and equipment—look like a lizardfolk. You can seem 1 foot shorter or taller, thin, fat, or in between. You cannot change your body type, other than the addition of a tail. Otherwise, the extent of the apparent change is up to you. You could add or obscure a minor feature or look like an entirely different person.

The spell does not provide the abilities or mannerisms of the chosen form, nor does it alter the perceived tactile (touch) or audible (sound) properties of you or your equipment.

If you use this spell to create a disguise, you get a +10 bonus on the Disguise check.

A creature that interacts with the glamer gets a Will save to recognize it as an illusion.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Compared to Disgiuse Self, yes, it's too powerful.

Disguise Self
Illusion (Glamer)

Level: Brd 1, Sor/Wiz 1, Trickery 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 10 min./level (D)

You make yourself—including clothing, armor, weapons, and equipment—look different. You can seem 1 foot shorter or taller, thin, fat, or in between. You cannot change your body type. Otherwise, the extent of the apparent change is up to you. You could add or obscure a minor feature or look like an entirely different person.

The spell does not provide the abilities or mannerisms of the chosen form, nor does it alter the perceived tactile (touch) or audible (sound) properties of you or your equipment.

If you use this spell to create a disguise, you get a +10 bonus on the Disguise check.

A creature that interacts with the glamer gets a Will save to recognize it as an illusion.

You're essentially creating a type-limited variant of Disguise Person (e.g., can only look like a lizardman) in exchange for a 6-fold increase in duration. I'd call that a net increase in power.

That being said, I don't know that it makes it unbalanced, so ...

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

You're essentially creating a type-limited variant of Disguise Person (e.g., can only look like a lizardman) in exchange for a 6-fold increase in duration. I'd call that a net increase in power.

How long would you extend the duration in exchange for locking the illusion type, and keep it a level 1 spell? Double? Triple?

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Well, extended Disguise Self gets you 20 minutes / level as a level 2 spell, so that's a good route to start from.

I think the issue you might run into is one more of "escalation" concerns - if you can create a "Limited Application, Much Extended Duration" lizardman version of Disguise Self, what about a similar version for an elf? Or a halfling? Etc.? Obviously, Sorcerers will be largely uninterested in the variant spells, but for wizards, why not learn all of them? It's rarely the case, I think, that you'll need the versatility of Disguise Self (e.g., you don't know when memorizing spells whether you'll need to look like a dwarf or an elf), so the appearance-limited variant is just as useful, most of the time, and you get much more bang-for-the-buck.

That would really be my primary concern, I think.

 

[Visigani]

This spell is perfectly fine, the severe limitation (Look like Lizardfolk only) is a reasonable trade off for the hour per level duration and to the above posters concerns... they would have to research (and expend the materials and time researching) each additional "type" of spell and would then have to memorize THAT SPECIFIC spell for that period.


Really, with all the whacktastic and incredibly borked spells I've seen given the thumbs up on here it doesn't get much more balanced than this.

 

[kitcik]

Patryn is the man, but in this case I think I agree with Visi.

If you are really concerned, give a +1 on the will save and call it a day.

 

[Ahnehnois]

I see no problem with a 1 hour/level duration. The specificity of "lizardfolk" as compared to "any roughly humanoid race" is quite a limitation.

I think the issue you might run into is one more of "escalation" concerns - if you can create a "Limited Application, Much Extended Duration" lizardman version of Disguise Self, what about a similar version for an elf? Or a halfling? Etc.? Obviously, Sorcerers will be largely uninterested in the variant spells, but for wizards, why not learn all of them?

I don't see there being an issue here. A wizard would have to spend a significant amount of money to scribe and spell slots to memorize a truly useful variety of such spinoff spells.

Honestly, the difference in play between 10 min/level and 1 hour/level isn't all that big. In most scenarios, you're using the disguise temporarily. Even if you are using it long-term, it's entirely likely that you'll have enough off time to cast the spell repeatedly without being observed. You'll notice the Hat of Disguise being a really cheap magic item despite at-will usage because this type of effect is not game-breaking.

Hat of Disguise

This apparently normal hat allows its wearer to alter her appearance as with a disguise self spell. As part of the disguise, the hat can be changed to appear as a comb, ribbon, headband, cap, coif, hood, helmet, and so on.

Faint illusion; CL 1st; Craft Wondrous Item, disguise self; Price 1,800 gp.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

and to the above posters concerns... they would have to research (and expend the materials and time researching) each additional "type" of spell and would then have to memorize THAT SPECIFIC spell for that period.

1) It's a first-level spell. The amount of "materials and time researching" will be pretty minimal.

2) I'm positing that the much-lengthened duration is much more important than the flexibility afforded by the base spell. As in, usually, just turning into something other than yourself is enough - it doesn't matter what you turn into, as long as it isn't you; alternatively, you'll know, when memorizing the spell, that you'll want to turn into (say) a lizardman. And, for these reasons, the limited choice in what you can turn into is no longer a balancing factor.

3) I also said, "That being said, I don't know that it makes it unbalanced, so ... "

 

[Michael Silverbane]

I agree with Patryn of Elvenshae, it is definitely more powerful than disguise self, but I don't know if its too powerful... It would almost certainly be okay as a 2nd level spell.

 

[kitcik]

I agree with Patryn of Elvenshae, it is definitely more powerful than disguise self, but I don't know if its too powerful... It would almost certainly be okay as a 2nd level spell.

Yes, it seems on par with Alter Self.

(sorry for the sarcasm, couldn't help myself)